Mechanical movement



April 29, 1924. 1,492,266

E. J. RAY

MECHANI CAL MOVEMENT Fild June 22. "1918 1 1914/ 19 5 I M [In I i l 331 E)? W 5 E90 .g MV/MdL Patented Apr. 29, 1924.

NITED STATES EUGENE J. BAY, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG NOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHIN- ERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OFNEVJ JERSEY.

MECHANICAL vmam Application filed June 22,

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE J. RAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Movements; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable 1 others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to mechanical movements, and more particularly to a mechanism adapted to secure a variable spacing or feeding movement.

It is the ob'ect of the invention to provide novel and simple means for transmitting a variable movement from a rotary shaft, and to this end the invention comprises a flexible worm, the pitch of which may be varied, and a worm rack adapted to be engaged by the worm. The invention also includes other features referred to in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a. view in elevation, illustrating one of the simplest embodiments of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof.

In the drawings, 10 is a shaft journaled 80 in bearings 11 on a frame 12 and adapted to be driven, either continuously or intermittently, by any suitable means, not herein shown or described. As indicated at 13, however, worm gearing may be the medium through which the desired motion is finally transmitted to the driven shaft. Mounted on the driven shaft is the element which has been referred to as the flexible worm, consisting of a series of spiral convolutions,

having in cross section the form and relation to the shaft of a worm tooth. This element is designated by the numeral 14, and is essentially the same as an ordinary worm from which the solid central portion has been entirely cut away, so as to leave the thread intact, and in the form of a spiral spring. The flexible worm 14: preferably terminates, at one end, in a collar 15 pinned to the shaft, and at the opposite end, in a collar 16 which, to ether with the interven ing spiral convolutlons of the worm, is longitudmally movable on the shaft to an extent determined by its range of flexibility. Endwise movement of the shaft is prevented by the worm collar 15 and a fixed collar 17 on action of a spiral spring, the coils of which 1918. Serial No. 241,319.

the shaft which are adjacent'oppo-site ends of the same bearing. The shaft 10 is threaded at 18'to receive a nut 19 adjustable on the shaftto' compress or expand the worm for the'zpurpose of varying its pitch. Provision may be made for stretchingthe worm beyond the limit of its normally expanded condition by forming on the nut 19 a laterally extendinga mular flange 20 which sur rounds the adjacent collar 16 of the worm and carries a pin 21 which projects into an annular'groove'22 in the said collar.

--The action of the worm under the influence of the adjusting nut is similar'to the when compressed or expanded, move toward or away from each other equally throughout the length of the spring. Accordingly it will be seen that the pitch of the worm will be constant, from end to end, under all conditions of adjustment.

The worm meshes with a single tooth space in a worm-rack 23 swiveled in a slide bar 24 mounted for longitudinal movement in slide bearings 25 on the frame 12. Rotation of the worm acts tofeed the slide bar by a worm and rack movement.

By adjusting the pitch of the worm the motion imparted to the slide bar may be varied. As the pitch of the worm is varied, the worm rack, because of its swiveled connection with the slide bar, may adjust itself readily to the changed angle of the worm tooth. If the rotation of the worm shaft is continuous, a variable continuous motion will be imparted to the slide bar, while if the worm shaft is intermittently rotated, the motion imparted to the slide bar will be a variable step-by-step movement. These movementsvmay be utilized for feeding or spacing work to be operated upon by other mechanism, or for various other purposes.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention, what is claimed is 1. A mechanical movement comprising a 100 variable pitch worm, a slide, a worm rack tooth on said slide in mesh with said worm, means for changing the pitch of said worm to vary the movement of said slide, and means permitting variation in the pitch of 105 said tooth relatively to said slide.

2. A mechanical movement comprising a variable pitch worm, a slide, a worm rack pivoted on said slide and provided with a tooth space in mesh with said worm, and no rack.

means for adjusting the pitch of said Worm to vary the movement of said'slide.

3. A mechanical movement comprising, in

' combination, a shaft, a variable pitch worm combination, a shaft, a spiral spring on said shaft revoluble therewith, a member operatively engaged by said spring to cause relative rectilinear movement between the shaft and member lengthwise of the shaft, and

means for adjusting the pitch of the spring to- Vary said relative movement.

5. A mechanical movement comprising, in combination, a shaft, a flexible worm having a plurality of convolutions and having one end fixed to said shaft, a sliding rack I engaged by said worm, and a nut adjustable on the shaft'to compress and stretch said Worm to vary the movementof said 6. A mechanical movement comprising, in

combination, a shaft, a flexible spring worm having one end fixed to said shaft, a slide bar, a worm rack swiveled in said slide bar and operatively engaged by said worm, and a nut adjustable on said shaftto vary the compression of said worm, and operatively connected to stretch said Worm beyond the limit of its normal expansion to control the movement of said slide bar.

7. A mechanical movement comprising a shaft, a variable pitched worm on the shaft having a plurality of convolutions, a mem ber engaging the worm and constructed to permit variations inits pitch, and means for adjusting the pitch of the wormito vvary the relative movement lengthwise of the shaft between the said member and shaft 8; TA mechanical movement comprising a spiral spring worm having a plurality of iconvolutions and free to expand and contract axially throughout its length, means for expanding and contracting the worm to vary its pitch, and a toothed member engaged bythe worm constructed to permit variation in the pitch of the worm to vary the relative axial movement between the member and the form.

' EUGENE 'J. RAY. 

